New Bern businessman and community leader Marvin Lee Raines Jr., 65, died unexpectedly Friday, with a legacy of public service that spanned 40 years.

The co-founder of Zaytoun-Raines Real Estate and Zaytoun-Raines Construction, Raines has served as member or appointee to many of the most powerful business groups and boards in the region.

“It came as a shock,” said Ernie Richardson, longtime friend and hunting buddy and now president of New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce, a group in which Raines was active for more than 30 years.

The exact cause of Raines death has not been established but, while many knew he had been dealing with complications of juvenile diabetes and awaiting a kidney transplant, they had seen him at public events Thursday and Friday and were surprised by the news.

Richardson and Chamber Director Kevin Roberts worked with his wife, Karen McCotter Raines, on Saturday to put together a list of Raines' business and community involvement.

“The list went on and on,” Richardson said. “He put a lot into this community, had a lot of faith in it.”

Roberts said, “It was unbelievable everything he touched for the community in his life because he knew it was important. We lost a champion for a lot of real good causes, military, community development, business, the chamber - list is long for the last four decades.”

Raines had been a chamber board member and former chairman and was active in the New Bern Military Alliance and in his own profession was an active member of the board of Realtors and former Realtor of the year. A member of Craven County Committee of 100 and the leader in the former Craven County Economic Development Commission, Raines was on the group working toward a new strategic economic growth plan for the county set to wrap up soon.

Raines had served as Global Trans Park representative for Craven County, as vice-chairman of the Military Growth Task Force, on Craven Regional Hospital (now CarolinaEast Medical Center) Authority, on Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corporation, was a former chairman of Craven Community College Board and Mt. Olive College Board of Trustees, and was a long time Shriner and Mason.

“He was a leading businesman, an outstanding community leader,” said Susan Moffat-Thomas, Swiss Bear director, a friend and cousin by marriage. “He played an important role on our board; he was a straight shooter and a really nice guy.”

Craven County Commissioner Steve Tyson, like Raines a New Bern native and realtor, said, “I met Marvin around 1971 when I was in high school working at a driving range on U.S. 17.

“Over the years I followed his career and he was a very respected businessman who thought not only of himself but the community,” Tyson said. “Over the course of this life, did so much to better the community and the real estate industry.”

Page 2 of 2 - Developer Lonnie Pridgen said, “I've known Marvin a long time and have done business with him. Whether it was done with a handshake or a signature, I found him to be smart and a good, solid, honest person and business person.”

Raines was also an avid sportsman, hunter and Harley rider.

Jim Davis, former director of Craven County Economic Development Commission, recalled traveling with Raines to N.C. Department of Transportation meetings connected with getting the N.C.43 connector and hearing the stories of Harley rides up and down the east and west coast.

He also recalled Raines tenacity as a reason many projects were seen to completion and said many would miss that and his dry rub ribs.

Moffat-Thomas said, “It's hard to comprehend; we'd just seen him. He had retired and his son had taken over the business and I'm sure he anticipated a long retirement. It's sad that is not going to be the case.”

Roberts said, “We also lost a friend who was so dear to many of us in so many ways.”

Fellow businessman and friend, Dairy Queen owner Bill Powers, had known Raines since high school and summed up the feelings of many who knew him: “He was a kind, understanding, civic-minded person who always tried to do the right thing.”

Sue Book can be reached at 252-635-5665 or sue.book@newbernsj.com. Follow on Twitter@SueJBook.